Marine sanitation holding vessel

Abstract

A marine sanitation holding vessel basically comprising a welded aluminum barge; a waste removal system mounted on the barge; and a ventilation system mounted on the barge. The barge is of modular construction and comprises three basic sections: first and second end sections and an elongate middle section. The waste removal system includes first and second pumps, a battery for storing power for operating the pumps, a receptacle for receiving waste from portable toilets, and a solar generating system for charging the battery. The first pump withdraws waste material from the holding tank to be emptied and deposits it into the barge storage tank. The second pump provides water for cleansing the receptacle for receiving waste collected in portable toilets. The ventilation system comprises a hollow mast painted black to heat the mast and thus generate an upward draft within the mast which draws the fumes from within the storage tank. The ventilation system further comprises a charcoal filter element located below the mast through which the fumes must pass while being ventilated to the surrounding environment. The mast is hinged to the barge to allow the mast to be rotated towards the horizontal to allow access to: (a) the charcoal filter element and an opening into the barge storage tank; and (b) the interior of the storage tank.

I claim: 
     
       1. A marine sanitation holding vessel for collecting and storing waste material, comprising: a. a barge having an upper deck, the barge defining first and second end compartments and a storage compartment, where the first and second end compartments are filled with material that provides buoyancy to the barge;   b. waste removal means mounted on the upper deck for removing waste from temporary holding tanks off of the barge and depositing the waste in the storage compartment of the barge;   c. a rechargable battery means for providing energy to the waste removal means; and   d. solar powered means for recharging the rechargable battery.   
     
     
       2. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. a filter compartment mounted on the upper deck of the barge, the filter compartment being in communication with the storage compartment;   b. a hollow mast having a first end in communication with the filter compartment and a second end extending above the upper deck of the barge; and   c. means located in the filter compartment for filtering air passing from the storage compartment, through the filter compartment, and out of hollow mast.   
     
     
       3. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. a filter compartment mounted on the upper deck of the barge, the filter compartment being in communication with the storage compartment; and   b. a hollow mast having a first end in communication with the filter compartment and a second end extending above the upper deck of the barge; wherein at least a portion of the solar powered means is mounted on the second end of the hollow mast.     
     
     
       4. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 3, in which the filter compartment is defined by a housing having an upper opening and a filter cover rotatably attached to the housing to selectively cover the upper opening, where the hollow mast is so attached to the filter cover that hollow mast rotates between: (a) a lowered position when the filter cover is open; and (b) a raised position when the filter cover is closed, where at least a portion of the solar powered means may be serviced when the hollow mast is in the lowered position. 
     
     
       5. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 1, in which the barge further comprises an exterior structure, the exterior structure comprising: a. an upper center wall;   b. a lower center wall;   c. port and starboard center walls;   d. first and second end upper walls;   e. first and second end lower walls;   h. port and starboard first end walls; and   i. port and starboard second end walls.   
     
     
       6. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 5, in which the upper center wall, the lower center wall, port and starboard center walls, first and second end upper walls, and first and second end lower walls are rectangular in shape prior to assembly of the vessel. 
     
     
       7. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 6, in which upper, lower, port, and starboard center walls are fabricated from standard-sized sheets of material. 
     
     
       8. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 7, in which the standard-sized sheets of material are 20'×6' sheets of aluminum. 
     
     
       9. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 1, in which the barge comprises: a. an exterior structure; and   b. first and second interior walls; wherein the first end compartment is defined by the exterior structure and the first interior wall, the second end compartment is defined by the exterior structure and the second interior wall, and the storage compartment is defined by the exterior structure, the first interior wall, and the second interior wall.   
     
     
       10. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 9, in which the exterior structure comprises: a. an upper center wall;   b. a lower center wall;   c. port and starboard center walls;   d. first and second end upper walls;   e. first and second end lower walls;   h. port and starboard first end walls; and   i. port and starboard second end walls.   
     
     
       11. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 10, in which the first and second interior walls are connected to, and provide support to, the port and starboard center walls. 
     
     
       12. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 11, in which the first and second interior walls are further connected to the upper and lower center walls, with an acute angle being formed between the interior walls and the upper and lower center walls. 
     
     
       13. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 1, in which the waste removal means comprises first pump means being operable to pump waste from the temporary holding tanks into the storage compartment. 
     
     
       14. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 13, in which the waste removal means further comprises pipe means for allowing communication between a source of cleansing fluid and the first pump means, where the first pump means is further operable to pump cleansing fluid from the source of cleansing fluid into the storage compartment. 
     
     
       15. A marine sanitation vessel as recited in claim 1, further comprising receptacle means for receiving waste and allowing waste to flow into the storage compartment. 
     
     
       16. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 2, in which the hollow mast is painted black. 
     
     
       17. A marine sanitation holding vessel for collecting and storing waste material, comprising: a. a barge having an upper deck, the barge defining first and second end compartments and a storage compartment, where the first and second end compartments are filled with material that provides buoyancy to the barge and the storage compartment contains waste material;   b. a filter compartment mounted on the upper deck of the barge, the filter compartment being in communication with the storage compartment;   c. a hollow mast having a first end in communication with the filter compartment and a second end extending above the upper deck of the barge; and   d. means located in the filter compartment for filtering air passing from the storage compartment, through the filter compartment, and out of the hollow mast;   e. the filter compartment being arranged relative to the storage compartment and having a maintenance opening therein such that the air filtering means can be removed therefrom to allow cleaning of the storage compartment.   
     
     
       18. A marine sanitation holding vessel as recited in claim 17, in which the filter compartment is defined by a housing in which the maintenance opening is formed and a filter cover rotatably attached to the housing to selectively cover the maintenance opening, where the hollow mast is so attached to the filter cover that hollow mast rotates between: (a) a lowered position when the filter cover is open; and (b) a raised position when the filter cover is closed, where at least portions of the vessel may be serviced when the mast is in the lowered position. 
     
     
       19. A marine sanitation holding vessel for collecting and storing waste material, comprising: a. a barge having an upper deck, the barge defining first and second end compartments and a storage compartment, where the first and second end compartments are filled with material that provides buoyancy to the barge and the storage compartment contains waste material;   b. a filter compartment mounted on the upper deck of the barge, the filter compartment being in communication with the storage compartment;   c. a hollow mast having a first end in communication with the filter compartment and a second end extending above the upper deck of the barge; and   d. means located in the filter compartment for filtering air passing from the storage compartment, through the filter compartment, and out of hollow mast; wherein   e. the filter compartment is defined by a housing having an upper opening and a filter cover rotatably attached to the housing to selectively cover the upper opening, where the hollow mast is so attached to the filter cover that hollow mast rotates between: (a) a lowered position when the filter cover is open; and (b) a raised position when the filter cover is closed, where at least portions of the vessel may be serviced when the mast is in the lowered position.